ARZA Sermon Series

Read sermons given by Reform clergy dedicated to connecting their congregants to Israel and making Israel accessible for all Jews. Although Israel can be a complicated place sometimes, our movement is committed to creating a brighter, more inclusive Jewish State.

We are All Included in the Covenant of Israel

Read Cantor Amanda Kleinman's Yom Kippur sermon about her evolving relationship to Israel. She confirms that we are all part of the covenant of the Jewish State no matter where we live or what political fights exist today.

Israel, The Wall, and Me

"All of us should have a seat at the table and a place at the Wall. All of us are B’nei Yisrael—the children of Israel. We are a part of what happens in Israel today." -Rabbi Jon Adland of Temple Israel Canton. Read the entire sermon here!

Towards a New Progressive Zionism

"Each time we discuss Israel, one of the most important points we can take away that it is up to us to get more involved. Israel is dynamic. It is also frustrating. It can uplift your spirit, and it has the capacity to demoralize. This is in part because it is the Jewish State. And as such it represents our hopes, dreams, and aspirations. And when it fails to live up to those, it can be all the more saddening. But we should not disengage." -Rabbi Benjamin Sharff of The Reform Temple of Rockland. Read the full sermon here!

Loving Israel is Not an Option

"It’s hard to explain to someone who has never been there how powerful the land of Israel is. It’s not simply the antiquity. I’ve seen old places before. Ruins are invariably fascinating, even inspiring. But these are our ruins. This is where David wrote the psalms. Hevron is where Abraham buried Sarah. Modiin is where the Maccabees saved Judaism. These are not just archaeological sites. They’re family heirlooms." -Rabbi Steven Kushner of Temple Ner Tamid Bloomfield. Read the full sermon here!

Symbols: The Meaning of Our Lives

"In this new year, let the spirit of our Jewish souls bring us closer to Israel than ever before. Our love for her is unconditional, yet we will work each and every day to bring about an Israel that is open to all Jewish streams, that despite existential threats, commits itself each and every day to discovering modern miracles of science, how to bring water to the entire earth, and dares to live with its neighbors in true peace." -Rabbi Bennett Miller of Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple. Read the full sermon here!

The Soul of Israel

"Forty years ago, the Progressive Movement was widely seen as nothing more than an import from the West...But such is no longer the case. Thinking back to the young scouts with whom I camped, worked and prayed so many years ago - those kids and their children are now part of an Israeli Reform movement that has become a native, distinctly Israel expression of progressive Judaism. In fact, despite all odds, and despite the roadblocks and obstructions presented, Reform Judaism in Israel is flourishing as an alternative path to meaningful, Jewish spiritual and ethical expression." -Rabbi David J Meyer of Temple Emanu-El Marblehead. Read the full sermon here!

These We Recall

"1967 teaches us that there are two kinds of zikaron, of memory. We are commanded lizkor et Amalek, that we must remember Amalek, the quintessential enemy of the Jewish people. We must remember that we always have enemies, that we need to demonstrate strength and resilience, and that we must never compromise on our physical safety or security. But it also teaches us to remember avadim hayinu b’eretz Mitzrayim—that we were slaves in the land of Egypt. We once lived under someone else’s rule and now must be weary of how we rule others." -Rabbi Josh Weinberg, ARZA President speaking at The Temple, Atlanta, GA. Read the full sermon HERE!